Circular infographics design: a new media tool for promoting sustainability through design thinking and collaborative learning

Due to new ways of learning triggered by the rapidly evolving digital age, widely referred to as ‘new media’ today, sustainability-focused design thinking has been challenged to expand access to information, enhance visualization and simulation capabilities, promote collaboration and user involvement, facilitate communication and awareness, and transform design education. This study aims to bridge the principles of design thinking and the profound impact of new media on information dissemination, interaction and the need for education to adapt its potential to shape a greener and more sustainable future. It outlines the novel methodology and outcomes of three circular infographics design workshops, which were organized through the collaboration of four universities of the European Engineering Learning Innovation and Science Alliance (EELISA) European University program. Based on the critical perceptions of the participating students, design facilitators, supervisors, and project coordinators over 14 written interviews, this study offers a critical approach to learning through infographics with regard to design thinking and its impacts on both targeted communities and participating students. The study concludes with a series of implications and recommendations for an enhanced use of new media tools, dissemination activities, and design thinking in sustainable development. These recommendations will allow educators and designers to effectively integrate the circular economy into their work and contribute to a more sustainable future through the leveraging of emerging media tools and platforms.